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2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. A. SMITH. MACHINE FOR ROLLING LEATHER STRINGS. No. 287,970.

(No Model.)

Patented Nqv. 6, 1883.

JAJMZA,

(No Mqciei.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. A. SMITH.

MAGHINBE'OR ROLLING LEATHER STRINGS.

N0, 287,970. Patehted Nov. 6, 1883..

Fig. 5.

g [m1 m1 UNiT- D STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

JAMES A. SMITH, Oh

. .Tb all whom it may concern..-

nonenoox, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR To B. new TON runrnn, or SAME PLACE.

' MACHINE FOR ROLLING LEATHER STRINGS.

" SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 287,970, dated November 8, 1883.

Application filed April '7, 1883. (No model.)

1 Be it known that I,Jx1uns A. SMITH, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Holbrook, in the county of Norfolk and fitate of Massa chusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Rolling.

Leather Strings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a machine for rolling and finishing leather strings; and it consists in the construction, arrangement, and

combination of the several parts of the machine, as hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

- Leather strings-adapted especially for shoe- I lacings-are first cut from the leather as strips square or rectangular in cross-section. These strips are commonly finished by rolling them between the surfaces of two boards or plates suitably pressed toward each other. Such rolling operation makes the strings round, even,

and smooth. It is the purpose of my invention torender this operation as simple and rapid as possible, particularattention having been given to the feeding mechanism, so that strings of any and of great lengthmay be readily rolled, and that the hand-labor of feeding and attendance may be reduced to a minimum.

' In the drawings-two sheets-Figure 1 is a plan view of so niuch of a machine embodying my invention as serves for illustration of the same. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 1 1 in Fig. 1. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show some of. the details.

The end supports,A A,and connecting-rails B, o, D, n, F, e, and H form the frame of the machine.- The frame maybe formed to be quite different from that shown, provided it be such asto support the working parts, con- .structed and located with reference to each I other to produce the results substantiallyas sible and'have the required strength.

herein specified. y

The rails B and 0 provide or support ways or guides for thesliding plate or frame I. This plate or frame should be made as light as pos- Supported in suitable bearings on stands a, 5, and c is a shaft, J, located transversely to the plate or frame I. On this shaft is apulley,

d,:fixed thereon, and a loose pulley, c, to receive the belt by which motive power is sup.- plied: for the whole machine. On the shaft are fixed. two cranks, f, to each of which is pivoted one end of a connectin -rod, g, the other end of the connecting-rod being pivoted to a rocking bar, h, at the upper end thereof. Each rocking bar is pivoted to fixed stands 11, and has pivoted thereto one end of a connecting-rod, j. Each of the connecting-rods j is pivoted at the other end to a stand, k, fixed on the plate or frame I.

On the shaft J is fastened aworm, K,whioh works in a worm-gear, L, fixed on a shaft, M.

This shaft is supported in suitable bearings -on stands Z, transversely'to the shaft J. On

the outer end of the shaft M is a pulley, N. A. belt about this pulley passes also about a pulley, O, on a shaft, P, supported at the rear of the machine and longitudinally therewith, hav- 7'0 ing fixed thereon spur-wheels m.

At the front of the machine a longitudinal rod, Q, is fixed, on which are collars n,which may be adjusted andfastened in the required positions on this rod. Groovedpulleys o are adapted to revolve on the rod Q, being in operation caused to bear against the collars at. About each pulley 0 and its appropriate spurwheel at passes an endless chain, B. Each chain extends directly, as to the lower part, from a pulley, o, to a spur-wheel, m,while the upper part is bent out of a straight line by a grooved pulley, p,which has a groove formed as shown, the lower part of the groove beingin a plane at right angles to the axis of the 85 pulley, and the upper part inclined thereto, whereby the chain is kept in the required position.

To the under side of the plate or frame I is secured a plate, q, by preference fastened to a plate, 1', secured directly to the frame I, and separable therefrom, there being an inter- .mediate plate or board, .9, between the plate ley, 0.

openingsin the rails E and I and is pressedupward by a spring, a.

Each chain R is by preference of a construction well known, having rectangular links, as shown. To the chainI fasten fingers, each of which may be formed as one piece with alink. A pair of fingers form nippers adapted to grasp and holda string. One finger,-o, of a pair is a flat metallic piece joined to a link, so as to extend across and above the chain and to a distance from the side or edge of the link, while the other finger, 10, extends only above and to one side of the chain, and

so as to be opposite to the corresponding part of the finger o. The two fingers forming a To the rail D are pivoted arms T, each supporting a pair of nippers directly over a chain as it passes over the upper side of a pul- Each pair of these nippers is formed by a finger, w, fixed to an arm, T, and a finger, 1 which may slide to and from the finger w, being pressed toward the finger ocby a spring, 2. There is a spring, U, which acts to swing an arm, T, and carry the nippers ac y'down toward the chain, and a screw, V, by which the distance of such motion of the arm and nipin Fig. 2) are fastened on the rail D, each one of which has fixed thereon a spring plate or wire, X, as shown.

In'operation, therevolution of the shaft J causes, by means of the worm K and gear L,

a much slower revolution of the shaft M, and

by means of the pulleys N and O and the belt asuitable revolution of the spur-wheels m. Thus the chains R are moved, so that the upper parts thereof travel toward the rear of the machine. The revolution of the shaft J also causes, by means of the cranks f, connecting-rods, and rocking bars, the plate or frame I to have a rapidreciprocating movement. Thus the plates q are moved rapidly to and fro on the plates t. One end of a string, Y, is inserted by hand between the parts of any pair of nippers x v, and'the string is drawn around under aspring-plate, X. \Vhen afinger or piece, 1;, moves under the arm T, it raises the arm and nippers attached thereto, as shown in Fig. 4.; but as soon as the piece opasses from under the arm T this arm and the nippers reg drop into such position as to carry the string between the fingers '0 and 10.

These fingers are at a distance apart when the links to which they are attached pass about a pulley, butare close together when said links are in the same plane; hence the fingers o and w grasp the string and hold it with sufficient force to pull it out from between the nippers 50 y. The chain is. so directed by a pulley, that it draws the string, which is drawn somewhat taut by the spring-plate X, between the plates q and t, the string being carried along between these plates, while the plate (1 has a rapid reciprocating movement on the plate t, and as these plates arepressed together it is rolled and finished as required. When the nippers on" the chain pass over a spur-wheel, m, the ifingers thereof separate sufficiently to allow the end of the string to drop out.

Of the adjacent surfaces of the plates q and t, the forward part of each surface is by preference made rough or grooved, while the rear part is smooth. Each plate may be of two separable parts, one having a rough or grooved surface and the other part a smooth surface.

I have represented only four sets of plates q andt; but the machine may be of a length to have as many sets as required, all of the up per plates being attached to one sliding plate or framagl. By having the shaft P at the necessary distance from the plates q and t, strings of any desired length may be drawn through between these plates. By employing the rock ing bars h, I relieve the plate or frame I of that weight and pressure which it would have were the connecting-rods 'q-which, in a long machine, must be proportionately long-pivoted directly to the stands on said plate or frame.

To prevent the strings from'being carried over the shaft 1? or caught and held from dropping away from the chains or other moving.

parts of the machine, I so secure an elastic piece of metal or spring, Z, as on the rail-H, in such position with reference to a spur-wheel, m, as to be bent by the nippers o w down under these nippers, and then be allowed to spring back, so as to throw the string away from the chain, spur-wheel, and shaft.-

I claim as my invention 1. In a leather-string-rolling machine, the

combination of a carrying-chain and suitable pulleys therefor with plates q and t, adapted to' operate substantially as hereinbefore set forth. 4

2. The combination of a chain, R, spurwheel m, pulley 0, and pulley p, for bending thechain out of a straight line between said pulley 0 and spur-wheel m, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a shaft, J, having one or two cranks,f, connecting rod or rods 9, one or two rocking bars, h, connecting rod or rods j, and sliding plate or frame I, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. f 4. In combination'with a chain, fingers r and w, forming nippers, substantially. as specified.

5. A finger, 12, extending across the chain and to one side thereof, and a finger, w, extending to one side of the chain and opposite the corresponding part of the finger 'u, to form nippers, in combination with two adjacent links of a chain, substantially as set forth. I

6. In a leather-string-rolling machine, an arm, T, adapted to swing, and having nippers 0c a, substantially as specified.

7. In a leather-string-rolling machine, a plate, q, adapted to reciprocate, in combination with a plate, 25, adapted to be pressed against the plate 95, standard S, and spring u, 9. The combination of nippers v w and chain 10 substantially as set forth. bearing the same, nippers w y, pivoted by 8. Plates gand t-one to reciprocate and the means of an arm, T, and spring and friction other pressed toward the former-and a plate plate or wire X, substantially as and for the 5 of softer or somewhat elastic material, as purposes set forth.

wood, intervening betweeneither of plates q JAMES A. SMITH. and t and its support, in combination with a Witnesses: chain, R, substantialiy as and for the purpose E.NEW '1ON THAYER, set forth. EDW. DUMMER. 

